Stephen A. Smith's prime SiriusXM slot blindsides current host Michelle Beadle: 'Little embarrassing'
Michelle Beadle admitted being blindsided by news that one of Stephen A. Smith’s new programs, which launches in September, will be taking over her time slot on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio.
Beadle said it was "a little embarrassing" to learn her show, "Beadle and Decker," with Cody Decker, won’t be airing at the same time from 12-3 p.m. ET every weekday due to Smith joining the show rotation.
"Yeah, so the cat’s out of the bag. I guess we’re talking about it," Beadle said during the show’s episode Wednesday.
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"We weren’t supposed to, just as a heads up. We were only given a few hours notice, but we weren’t told any details. We were promised that no details would be released. We didn’t even know who was taking our place in the lineup, just that it was going to be announced that a new show was being added."
Beadle added that she found out what was happening through The Hollywood Reporter's details on Smith joining SiriusXM.
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"Unbeknownst to us, The Hollywood Reporter, of course, had all the details," Beadle said. "So, it was a little embarrassing, I’m not going to lie. I’ve been in this business for 20-plus years. I’ve been treated poorly a couple times. This didn’t feel good, I’m not gonna lie."
During her time on air, Beadle never mentioned Smith, who works for her former employer, ESPN. Beadle hosted the network’s "NBA Countdown" before leaving the network in 2019.
Beadle is also the host of FanDuel TV’s "Run It Back," which is an NBA-focused program.
Smith announced he would be joining SiriusXM on a multi-year deal during an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" Wednesday. He’s scheduled to start Sept. 2 with his takes on the biggest sports topics, while having a second show that will be his take on "weekly current events, pop culture" and more. That show doesn’t have a debut date announced yet.
"To say that I’m excited would be an understatement," Smith said about his deal with SiriusXM, according to the New York Post. "I’ve been on Mad Dog before, had the time of my life. So, I’m loving the fact that I get to reunite with my guy, Mad Dog, on his turf. That, in itself, is a beautiful thing. But to then add a weekly show where I have a potent platform to discuss riveting subjects in the world of pop culture, politics and social commentary … let’s just say it doesn’t get any better than that.
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo is a regular guest on ESPN’s "First Take," which Smith leads.
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